Feature Trump’s Iran deal sidesteps fate of detained Americans The White House declined to say whether the release of the six Americans would be included in a final deal. By Elizabeth Hagedorn In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights
Culture Morocco, Egypt impress with notable draws despite winless World Cup start for Mideast teams Several teams from the Middle East and North Africa could advance to the knockout stage under the new format, and Morocco climbed in the rankings despite a tie in its opener. Iran
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Trump touts Iran deal as Hegseth warns Tehran Iran stands to gain from deal; 3 Iranian tankers pass US blockade; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Explainer Sanctions relief and reconstruction: How China benefits from Trump-Iran deal It is no exaggeration to say that every provision of the 14-point deal favors China. China
Newsletter: China-Middle East How China benefits from Trump's Iran deal By Joyce Karam , Rosaleen Carroll
Will Iran, Saudi Arabia patch things up? Amid rising tensions following Saudi Arabia’s move to cut diplomatic relations with Iran, the question appears of whether the time has come for efforts to bridge the divide — or whether it’s too soon. Saudi Arabia
Khamenei questions US commitment to nuke deal As implementation of the nuclear deal begins, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that the United States may not live up to its obligations. Iran
Will Rouhani's negotiations with Iran’s hard-liners succeed? With the difficult nuclear negotiations behind him, President Hassan Rouhani is now focused on domestic issues. Iran
Why Israel is keeping a close eye on Iran’s parliamentary elections Some Israeli security experts view the Iran nuclear deal and lifting of sanctions with cautious optimism, and consider upcoming elections a test case to see what path the Iranian people will choose. Israel
Former Israeli minister calls removal of Iran sanctions a 'black day' Former Minister Ephraim Sneh argues that the US administration was so keen to sign the nuclear deal that it ignored Iran's true nature and global aspirations. Israel
Obama, Rouhani hail diplomacy as Americans fly home President Barack Obama heralds his administration’s multichannel diplomacy with Iran for freeing detained Americans and implementing the nuclear deal and says there is an "opportunity" to pursue a new path with Iran. Iran
Fed-up Iranian women organize to take more seats in parliament Only 3% of incumbent Iranian members of parliament are female, but Iranian women are campaigning to drastically change the parliament's huge gender imbalance through the ballot box. Iran
Syrian endgame could begin with Aleppo Aleppo could begin healing in Syria; Syrian armed group backed by US allies seeks caliphate; FSA leader says US “moving toward being a partner in crime” in Syria; Hagel says US Syria policy was paralyzed over "Assad must go." Syria
Iran frees five Americans as nuclear deal goes into effect Iran has released five American prisoners including Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian, in an apparent swap with Iranians jailed in the United States for sanctions violations. Iran
Will US retaliate against Iran for detaining sailors? The Obama administration has repeatedly challenged Iranian restrictions on freedom of navigation. Will that continue after the nuclear deal? Iran
Why Sudan wants to stop the 'spread of Shiism' In the past year, Sudan has joined the Saudi-led war in Yemen, shut down Iranian centers and finally cut diplomatic relations with Iran, but has Khartoum really turned pro-Saudi — or just anti-Shiite? Saudi Arabia
Facing oil slump, Iran moves to tax its way out of crisis Faced with plummeting oil revenues, the Iranian government is taking measures to make up the smaller amount of petrodollars coming in with increased tax revenue. Iran